Alice and the Saturdays
by crazyrightnow3417
Summary: Alice is taken as tutor for her godfather Doc's son Zak after being discovered after an escape from Weirdworld. She immediatly fit's in with the family, and loves them back. But the secrets her father has given her could ruin what she's finally found?
1. ALice, meet the Saturdays

Zak Saturday ran. Sprinted, more. Sweat pouring down his back, not taking satisfaction in the knowledge of the fact that it was only a training session in his own house, due to the pouring Pacific Northwest rain. Doyle and Dad wouldn't be happy unless he gave it his all. Deciding to take the risk, he looked over his shoulder.

"Ow!"

Doyle stood over him. He had run into the very man he was supposed to be hiding from. Realizing frantically he had nothing to lose, he shot the Claw around Doyle and pulled him down. Once Doyle landed with a satisfactory 'umph' Zak retracted the Claw and ran , straight through to his safe ground, the kitchen, where Drew was pulling her latest try at brownies out of

the oven.

"Oh, good, you're done. Dr. Nimno has been trying to talk to Doc for an hour now." She said with our looking up, frowning down at the stubborn confections that refused to move from the pan. Doc and Doyle ran in. Doc rounded on Zak.

"You ran into him, Zak. Into him!" Doc started, but Doyle cleared his throat with a clear message- 'that's my job.' Doc let him take over.

"Mini-man, don't look back. Just put your head down and run like Argost's after you. In a real situation, he probably would be." He patted his nephew's shoulder and grabbed the pack of Oreo's from the pantry at the sight of his sister's brownies. Doc went to the view phone and called Dr. Nimno.

"Who is Dr. Nimno?" Zac asked his uncle with a mouthful of Oreo cream. Doyle shrugged and took another cookie.

"James. Long time no see." Doc told the middle aged, pepper haired man on the screen.

"I'll tell you in a sec. James! How's Alicia?" Drew told the two boys and then turned to the screen.

"Just fine, thank you. You'll see her soon if you hear me out." Doc nodded his consent.

"Two days ago, we were doing patrol around Weirdworld, our shift. Jake was driving around the back roads when he saw a figure emerge from the mist. A young woman, dressed in the rags of designer clothes. With the Weirdworld emblem on her wrist. She held her thumb out like a hitchhiker, and when Jake pulled over to her, and she got in, she immediately became unconscious. Jake brought her home, and we took care of her. 12 hours later, she woke up. And she told us who she was. We had already done a i.d. check, but the confirmation was nice. We asked why she was at Weirdworld. She said she didn't know why, only that she had been kidnapped on V.V. Argost's command, and had been held there for 5 months. And that he wanted information only she could give."

Doc leaned forward. "Who is it?"

James Nimno looked solemn. "Alice Mithe."

Doc bit down on the inside of his lip, his knuckles becoming white on the table. "Can I see her?"

"You need to come down here to California, she's to fragile to move right now." James motioned to the background behind him, a living room with a view of the mountains.

Doc snorted. "Yeah. Fragile. We're coming down now. Expect us around 3." James nodded, and communication was cut off.

Zak waited until everyone was on the airship and his parents had put on auto pilot. "Alice Mithe? Is this the Alice from-"

"Paris. You couldn't have been 6!" Drew remembered dreamily. "You and Alice had a handshake. You probably know Alice better as Alice Barnaby." She added to Doyle.

"Barnaby? As in the shipping empire Barnabys?" Doyle asked.

"The same. Alice was adopted with the rest of her 10 siblings. Her given name is Mithe." Doc had an arm slung over his face, and hadn't moved until now. "Her father was my best friend. I am her godfather."

"Slacking, aren't you?" Doyle sniggered, and Fisk snored pointedly from his hand from the ceiling.

"I didn't KNOW!" Doc yelled forcefully, then settled back down. "If anything has happened to her, I will go and kick Argost's sorry-"

"ANYWAY." Drew cut off her husband. "We last visited her in Paris, when Zak was 6. She was working as a fashion editor for Hautlaw." Doyle raised an eyebrow at the profession, but didn't say anything.

"She's cool, Doyle. Really! She can kick butt!" Zak bounced enthusiastically in his seat, waking Fisk.

"Opounid sifnd sodjfd od!" Fisk agreed.

"I will believe that a fashion editor can kick butt when I see it." Doyle leaned back.

"Get ready to see the light. We're here." Drew initiated landing.

"Hey! Alice, Jake, Alicia, and Olivia are in the pool out back." James greeted Doc and Doyle with a handshake and Drew with a hug. "You hungry?" he asked Zak and Fisk. When they nodded, he handed them shakes and directed them to the cabana.

"Drew!" a Latina woman hugged Drew and Doc with feeling. She swooped down and caught Zak in her grasp. "It's been to long!" She offered a white smile to Doyle.

"Zak, Doyle, Alicia and James Nimno are the leading scientists in the field of spiritualists. Their oldest, Jake, is 16," he motioned to a dark haired, pale skinned teen doing a dive, "and Olivia is 13." He waved to a black haired, olive skinned beauty in a coral bikini who sat at the edge, waving her legs in the water. "Alice, who's 20, is there." He pointed to a dark chocolate haired girl with light golden skin. The orange bikini she wore only set off her beauty even more. Her skin still held a sickly tinge from her time in captivity, but it didn't touch the toned muscle that made up her body. The young woman ran through the diving board, flipping into a cannonball. She glided to the end of the pool, where she pulled herself up. Standing up, she saw the Saturday family. A wide smile broke across her pretty features, and she speed walked over to the assembled.

"Doc! I haven't seen you in forever! How about a hug?" Alice spread her arms out, water dripping off her. The Weird World emblem stood our on her wrist, two orange W's lined by black. Her smile had suddenly turned mischeifious.

"No thanks." Doc looked stunned at the sight.

Alice hugged him anyway. "Who's afraid of a little water?" she laughed. Doc returned the hug, as did Drew when it was her turn. The two adults turned to Alicia, and Alice turned her attentions to the boys.

"Zak-man!" Alice held up her hand as if for a high five, but she and Zak did an elaborate hand shake that involved a hip bump, a slow mo punch, and sliding. Doyle applauded them, and Alice turned her attention to the mysterious stranger.

"Think you can keep up?" she raised her hand again, and Doyle and she began the hand shake that Alice and Zak had just finished. Eventually Doyle forgot the rest of the shake, and it became a sissy fight.

"So I can't keep up. How about a hug?" a smile presided over Doyle's face as he spread his arms. At that moment, Olivia landed a cannonball that thoroughly soaked the Saturdays. Alice openly laughed.

"You're wet enough." Alice pointed out. Doyle frowned, and when Alice turned to answer Doc's call, Doyle grabbed her around the waist and swung her around. Shrieking with laughter, the girl playfully hit the man's bicep.

"Ow!" Doyle was surprised, and he flung the girl in the pool. She landed with a splash. She took it in stride, and swam to Doc and Drew on the other side of the pool. Zak turned to Doyle.

"She's so gonna get you." Zak promised. Doyle shrugged with a 'wait-and-see' smile.

Fisk returned with burgers from the grill. Zak took his, and Doyle took a bite and watched as Alice rattled on to Doc about the cryptids in France.

"Some exotic non-native creatures, of course, some smugglers think it's funny to put animals in a totally different habitat and see if they can survive the strange area. I had the one's I found lifted out and taken home, trackers on them in case the smugglers come back. The natives are doing splendid, thriving. My partner thinks it funny to put a high-browed leaf monkey in the stuck up neighbor's balcony to watch the wealthy freak at a harmless cute creature, but I asked him to stop, and he has for the most part. I've been using the vacations and sick days I've built up to work on the problem Dijon is having with a Lua'luau." Alice updated Doc.

"Dijon, France? I've got a couple contacts there. Last time I checked in with them, they did say something about domestic disturbances that were fishy." Doyle strode into the conversation, hoping to draw Alice's attention.

Alice nodded. "The Lua'luau is noted for its fascination with home appliances, especially anything that makes light. Lamps and such. They invade the home, hoping to make off with a couple of the lights. The wives screaming about a giant scaly hamster would generally be fishy."

"And how's Hautlaw?" Drew was very up to date in the fashion world, though she preferred her jump suit.

"Fabulous. We are still deciding on some winter fashions, but I helped Calvin with some things, so he's agreed to do some of the line, which is huge, and a big shove in the face to my contenders." Alice adjusted her bikini strings.

"I simply must have the skirt that he designs." Doyle imitated a high falsetto, supposedly a fashion obsessed New York woman.

Alice sighed. "Doyle, the industry I work in involves backstabbing, inside contacts, courage, creativeness, spying, tracking, technology, and enemies. What career am I?"

"Bounty hunting?" Doyle was used to all those things, he had been efficient in having and getting all of those.

Alice turned her bright eyes into his, and for the first time, he looked straight into hers. They were a stunning blue, with knowledge and age that a girl her age shouldn't carry. They held him, in a both calming, comforting, knowing, and trapping, harsh, cold way.

"Fashion." She said softly, her eyes never leaving his, as if his were the captivating and holding ones.

Doyle turned to Zak. "Okay, so one fashion designer out there can kick butt." Alice gave a stunning smile and gave Doyle a gentle shove, enough to make him stumble back a step, and when he balanced out again, he picked her up and dangled her over the pool. "But she wasn't smart enough to realize that she shouldn't go up against dangerous me." He whispered in her ear.

"Doyle, Zak, we have trunks for you if you want them." James broke in and offered two pairs of board shorts, one with Hawaiian print and the other with a wave insignia. Doyle put down Alice and went to get his. James gave the Hawaiian to Zak, and as Doyle reached for his, a shove to the back sent him flying into the pool. When he surfaced, a pair of trunks landed on his head. He grabbed them off, to see Alice, arms crossed, with a smug smile. Zak was laughing.

"Okay. You got me." Doyle flicked his hair out of his eyes. Alice gave him a dazzling smile, and jumped in after him. Zak went in to the house to change, followed by Olivia, who wanted to shower, and Jake, who had a video game running downstairs. Alice turned to her godfather.

"James basically said 'V.V. Arogost is bad.' I could have gathered from watching the show and my five moths in the pen. Demented, he is." The girl was sitting on the steps. She shivered at the thought, and Doyle swam over to put his arm around her. "So what is the in-depth story?" She pushed his arm off.

"Start with the stealing of the Kur stones." Suggested James, checking his watch for the time, it was 5. Doc did, and told the family's tale.

"So Abby escaped, and promised to finish the job." Doc shrugged. Olivia, who had come back out, yawned.

"I hope she realizes that means going through me." Alice growled, and Doyle flinched. He had challenged her to a sparing match during a break in the story, and Alice had thoroughly beaten him, exploiting every weakness and using pressure points to take him down, and making him immobile for a couple minutes. From what he could judge, Abby and Alice would be a pretty even match. But someone would win. And he hoped it would be Alice. Then he flinched. Doc had left out the fact that he and Abbey dated, he had felt Drew's eyes on him when Doc had gotten to the part about meeting Abbey at the docks. He had to work to keep his face straight. Yes, he had flirted with Alice, but that wasn't what he felt bad about. It was the fact that she didn't flirt back. Abbey hadn't either. It would have been easy, boring, if she had, a small relief from the pain of Abbey. But she hadn't, so his interest in Alice had gone up involuntarily, and the pain from Abbey kicked up a notch every time she refused his advances.

"What did you think our story?" Drew took everyone's thoughts away from Van Rook and his apprentice.

"I think the writers of House, All My Children, Grey's Anatomy, and James Patterson couldn't have created a better story. Contrary to your thoughts, Olivia, I think that every one in the Saturday family and Doyle are heroes." Alice had been spell bound the whole story. "This is better than any TV show any day." The story had taken 2 and a half hours with narration form Doc, additions from Drew, interjections by Zak, and comments and re-telling at times by Doyle, and a break.

"We are pretty entertaining." Zak shrugged.

"Uoudshf sodofog hugaerec." Fisk danced to punctuate his point.

"I'm not sure that a reality show is what your parents had in mind, Fisk." Alice laughed. "Though it would be a hit. Top of the charts, I'm sure."

"I'm sure the public would enjoy the scenes of us bashing Argost, him being a celebrity and all." Drew and Alicia were side by side, Doc on Drew's other side.

"I don't know. Argost deserves the worst bashing that the world can dish out and more." Alice's jaw was hard set, and by the looks on the Nimno's faces, this was the first reference to her captivity she had made. Drew cleared her throat.

"Alice, would you like to tell us about why you were Argost's prisoner for 5 months? You don't have to if you're not ready." Drew took Alice's hand. Alice shook her head.

"I think I'll feel better if I get it out. I'll need to start from the beginning." Alice took the bottled water offered by Jake, and the group settled in to hear her story.

"My father is David Mithe, of the Mithe family. A billionaire family of business, and my grandfather deep-set in tradition, had high hopes for my father, his oldest son, for a wife. Only a pretty girl from a wealthy family would do. My father was handsome and good at business, but was the black sheep due to the fact that he had his heart set in Cryptozoology. He was a great scientist, and even my grandfather realized it would be a waste not to let him study. At 25, a Harvard grad and a certified genius, he asked his father for a trip to the Middle East as a graduation present, to allow him to study a new subject of Cryptozoology. My grandfather agreed.

One day in the 5 month trip, my father headed into a bar in Egypt, intending to work. He sat down to wait for his waiter. He turned on his laptop, and began to work, until a voice interrupted him. "May I take your order?" My father looked up, and quote, "Saw an angel in the dirty grime of a backwater bar." My mother, Sylvia Eunic, is of French-Swede decent. Blonde, blue eyed to my father's dark hair and eyes. Offers for modeling out the ass. Manners better than any politians' wife, the girl parents want for their sons. But, not rich. From a middle class family, oldest of two. My father looked her in the eye. "I'll have a beer, gyros, and an hour with you after your shift."

My mother was used to offers like this, but my father was persistent, eating only there in Egypt and staying an extra three days. She gave in, and he took her with him on the rest of his trip, and by the end, were secretly engaged. My father knew that is father wouldn't approve, and my father left Sylvia with her family when he went home to Virginia to seek permission and a blessing of marriage from his parents. When my grandfather was told from his oldest and most promising son that he was going against orders and marrying a nobody from Germany, he had a fit and disowned him. My grandmother gave my father a fee every month, with every intention of re-inheriting him later. But my father was a self-made man from several patents, and had enough to support a family. So he returned for Sylvia, and they were married in France.

They bought a cottage in the hills of Germany and continued his work. They were accepted into the community, no one knowing they lived among a billionaire who could by the whole town. My mother worked in a catering service, and sung publicly in front of crowds. My mama had a voice. My father's work was not on cryptids species. It's on ancient habitats, ancient cryptids. He is the most knowledgeable person on lemurians. He has more papers on them then Alexandria's library can hope too, and he shared all this with me, pulling me up on his lap and shoeing me charts, maps, the anatomy of lemurians. And all other ancient cryptids, such as the Spynix, Loch Ness, Anubis, Horus, and dragons. We were happy, until when I was three. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and since it was detected late, she died when I was four.

My father threw himself even more deeply into his work. But Argost caught word of his studies for Kur, and was determined to have my father's knowledge. My father caught wind of his coming, and we were able to hide the books, papers, maps, tablets, and other information before Argost and Munya arrived. They threatened my father with my life, but a message from someone harried them, and they had me taken away by his men. But, my father was taken to the forest, and I heard his scream mingled with a gunshot, and knew they had killed him, because he hadn't give them the information. I was put in an New York orphanage at six, and was adopted at seven by the Barnabys.

I was a genius, but a hothead. I took all forms of martial arts and yoga to calm myself. I graduated Harvard at 14, with a major in law and a minor at in Cryptozoology. I was offered a fashion editing spot in Paris at 15, and I took it. Five months ago, I noticed someone following me. All I could identify was that he had a Russian accent, he never showed his face. One day, leaving work, I haled a taxi, and getting in, instructed the driver to my place. Instead, he began a drive to, I didn't know it, the Weird World mansion. I opened my mouth to ask why he wasn't taking me to my desired destination, but the diver turned around, and I realized it was the follower, and he slapped a chloroform rag over my mouth. I woke up in a cell. Argost had realized I knew what my father knew, and wanted the information now more than ever. I was held captive, with torture, but I refused. He made me go to social events, so it seemed nothing was wrong. He had the Weird World emblem tattooed on my wrist. I planned escape from the moment I could think straight, but it was only the night you found me that I made good on my plan. I distracted the guards at one of the partys I was forced to attend, and sneaked through the nightmare house, thanks so some guards leading a drunk from the premises. I made it out, down to the road, where Jake pulled over."

Drew came over and put her arms around Alice. Zak tried to disguise a yawn as he came over to his uncle and friend.

"Bed." His mother said immediately. It was around 9:45, and Zak was fighting to keep his eyes open. Alice put her arm around him. Doyle laid back in the Nimno's recliner in the living room, as Drew took Zak to the guest bed where he would sleep and Alice fought Olivia over the teen's bedtime. When Alice entered the room again, she held a platter of coffee mugs with creamer and sugar. Doc took his black, Drew, two creamers, and Doyle, cream and sugar with a bit of coffee. Alice had hers like Drews'.

James cleared his throat. "Alice, do you like the Saturdays?" he asked.

"Of course. They're my family." Alice smiled at the Saturday parents.

"You're knowledgeable with cryptids, are smart, and can fight." Doc went on.

Alice shot a confused look at Doyle.

"We want you to join the team." Doyle explained.

"If you want to." Drew added.

"Of course I want to. I'd love to!" Alice was ecstatic.

"Are you doing the right thing? Inviting Alice to join when you have barely seen her?" Alicia's motherly instincts were kicking in. She rolled her coffee mug in her hands.

"Absolutely. Alice graduated law school at 14, with a minor in Cryptozology, and was offered a job as a fashion editor as a cover up for her research on cryptids. She is her father's daughter, a instinctive fighter, relying on speed and precision. I think she would make a perfect tutor for Zak."

"Teacher Alice. Has a ring." Alice smiled. "I would need to get textbooks, just a couple. Zak would be out of college for biology, so lets' do a high school chemistry. Algebra, some Language Arts books, a U.S and World History book…"Alice trailed off.

"How is Zak going to do training and play school? We work all day." Doyle grabbed the flat screen remote and started flipping the channels.

"You rarely get up before noon. Lessons in the morning, training in the afternoon. Homework, of course." Drew nodded.

"WHAT?" Zak burst forth from his hiding place behind the island in the kitchen that was connected the family room. "Homework? It's summer." He tried a final bid for freedom.

"Zak, your mother and I have been talking about it for months, even before Kur became a danger again. Your mother and I do the best we can, but you need someone who can dedicate herself to your knowledge. You've got a trainer for your skills, and now for your brain." Doc wasn't surprised his son was eavesdropping.

"We can't start until I get textbooks, which are in New York." Alice smiled at her student.

"Okay. But I'm not going to have to read the textbooks, am I?" Zak sulked over to the seat between Alice and Doyle. Then he caught sight of his mother's face and headed back to his room.

"Bed sounds great." Alice rose.

"It's just after 10:00. Do you always go to bed early?" Doyle found a rerun of Weird World and stopped the channel surfing.

"Captivity takes a lot out of a person. She'll probably go back to her normal bed time in two days." Doc's arm was around the place where Drew had been.

Alice wrinkled her nose in contempt. "Bedtime." She gave James and Alicia a hug, then went to the guest room where she had been sleeping.

"Isn't how this thing with Abbey started?" James said, and killed the buzz that was flowing through the Saturdays.

"I'm going to bed." Doyle and Drew were in unison as they rose.

"I'm going to bed?" Doc was startled as Drew pulled him up and to their room. Doyle asked for directions to his, and disappeared when he got them.

"Did I say something?" James joked to his wife. She cocked an eyebrow. "Just kidding!" he yelled after his wife.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm sorry you have to leave this quick." Alicia and Drew hugged as James and Doc shook hands.

"No, you were aching to get me out of the place." Alice hugged Jake, making the teenaged boy blush, making his sister roll her eyes over Alice's back at him when she got her hug.

"Zak, Doyle, you've got to come back soon. Halo 4 comes out soon, and I just got 3-D for video games." Jake and the boys had bonded over Tony Hawk's Underground and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Jake had been handed his ass when Doyle, ( playing as Snake) Fisk,(playing as Marth) and Zak (playing as Pit) teamed up on him, but Jake was a good sport.

"We have to talk about Stella's fall line." Olivia chatted to Alice and Drew. "I have big hopes for the boho-sleek look."

"Of course. If we can't come in person, by vid phone." Alice promised. She gave the girl one last hug, gave the Nimno's a final smile, and followed Fisk onto the airship.

"Whoa." Alice stopped and looked around the huge cockpit. "I think I might need a tour guide." She admitted.

"I'll show you around." Doyle and Zak said in unison. Both stared at each other.

"How about the person who doesn't show me the airship does the house?" Alice quickly said.

"House." Doyle called. Zak scowled at him. Doyle smiled in response.

" Follow me. This is the cock pit. Dad's on the right, mom on the left. This is the global tracer." Zak gestured to the dome in front of the door. Fisk stood beside him and announced he would help. "If you come out here, this is the loading dock and the floor pulls out to …" the door shut to cut off his words. Drew and Doc walked on, and buckled into their co-pilot seats.

"Where's Zak, Alice and Fisk?" Drew initiated liftoff while Doc took over steering.

"Taking the grand tour." Doyle was mad that he had been out bided, but at least he got to show her the house. Then they could really talk.

"Good. If she wants a tour, then she must really take the offer seriously." Doc sounded pleased.

"She told me she wanted to go with us before we offered. Said that spiritualism was to weird for her. She didn't even know weather the Nimnos believed spiritualism or were skeptics." Drew set the auto pilot for home and rose to get a drink. "Coke, Doc?"

"I agree, I don't think James knows weather he believes. Yes, thanks, to the Coke." Doc turned off auto pilot and manually drove the airship towards the coast.

"So you and Drew are close to Alice?" Doyle took the Coke offered by his sister.

"Yes. She's like a daughter to me." Doc took his Coke and took as sip and drove one handed.

"When I first met Alice, Doc and I were engaged. We stopped by the Barnaby's to pick something up, and I met her there. Even as a 10 year old, we clicked. She was at our wedding." Drew lifted a cup of hot chocolate to her lips.

"Wait. So your husbands goddaughter, age 10, was at your wedding, but I wasn't even invited?" Doyle's voice sounded outraged. His sister and brother-in-law turned, to see his teasing grin. "Just kidding."

"And here we are, back at the cockpit." Zak's face went from happy to stunned when he saw his mother. "Mom, are you drinking hot chocolate?"

"Yeah, I am. Do you want some?" she noticed her son's weird behavior. "Is there a problem with me drinking perfectly normal hot chocolate in summer?"

"You always were a bit cold." Doyle's grin was still on his face, and Alice's palm couldn't cover her throaty laugh.

"No. Mom, do we have mini marshmallows?" Zak looked worried.

"No. Why?" Drew gestured for Zak to come closer, and when he did, she checked his temperature.

"Mom. I'm fine. I feel fine." Zak wiggled away from his mom. Drew nodded and went back to the wheel, trading steering with Doc.

"Alice, you'll stay in the guest room that Doyle's not using. We'll get your stuff soon, but Sunday, Drew and I have a meeting with Dr. Grey and Dr. Odele." Doc finished the Coke and crushed the can, throwing it into recycling. Alice looked scandalized, as if Doc had suggested killing a puppy.

"Are you insane? I'll find a place of my own. You don't need me crashing up the place. Maybe Portland's Mondrian…" Alice dragged off. Now Doc looked horrified.

"Of course you're going to live with us, get it out of your head that you won't. You have every right to be with us full time, and you're brownies are amazing." Doc sounded dreamy. "With that coffee frosting and nuts and chocolate pieces…'

"Mm-hm." Drew cleared her throat.

"You're staying." Doc said fast.

"Fine, since you insist. But I am claiming the kitchen as my territory, if I remember Drew's cooking." Alice crossed her arms and leaned against the banister.

"Alright, here we are, home sweet home." Drew landed spot on the top of her million dollar home, and Fisk and Zak raced off the ship, followed slowly by Doyle and Alice.

"Ready for your tour?" Doyle gestured to the house.

Alice gulped. "Was it always this big?"

"This is the elevator down, Professor will put your stat's in so it'll accept you." Doyle joined into the already crowed elevator and pushed down.

"This is the center. All tech communications, top of the line in every tech. Through every door is the same circular hallway, the open doors lead off to the extensions, the closed to different rooms. This is the main door, we'll head out here." Doyle got off the elevator and showed Alice the dark, metal room, then through the door. "The door directly across is the kitchen, as demanded."

"Requested, more like." Alice strode into the bright room. The wall facing out was glass windows, with dining table in front. Right beside and along the inward wall was the kitchen, top of the line like everything else. The theme was red, black, and chrome, everything shining in its place. She turned back to Doyle. "Where to next?"

"Next to the kitchen on the right is the formal dining room," Doyle only opened the door quickly to reveal a room not unlike the kitchen, except minus the kitchen and the addition of the fine china cabinets. The table was long and elegant, with a white Egyptian linen table cloth. He closed the door. "And next to that is the family room." This room was bright like the rest, with a couch, a large flat screen with video game systems, surround sound, and a kitchenette in the back with a door to the porch surrounding the perimeter of the inner part of the house. Alice nodded approvingly, then turned to go the the next room. "Again to the right is Drew's plant room where Zak plays his games and we sometimes have training." Doyle flipped on the artificial lights and revealed the exotic plants within. He shut them off and moved to the next room. "Bathroom," he gestured to the next door. "Library." He tapped on the next door. They had made a complete circle, and so Doyle headed down the connecting tunnel to the North Extension. At the end of the tunnel, a cul-du-sak of three rooms. Two were plain, but the first on the left had signs and magazine pages torn out and taped to the door. The only one Alice was able to make out in the mess was the one on top reading 'Zak's Room, Stay Out- that means you Fisk- unless you knock.' Doyle knocked, and the door slid open to reveal a very clean room for and eleven year old boy, with blown up pictures of skateboarders and snowboarders, and a large dog bed for Komodo and bar across the ceiling for Fisk. Zak was on his bed, playing a DSi with Fisk cheering him on in his race of Mario Kart. Komodo was in the dog bed, sleeping.

"Come on, come on! Oh, hi, Alice Doyle." Zak looked up long enough for the announcer to announce 'First place: Zak Sat!' "Yes!" he turned back to the game. Komodo yawned. Doyle put is arm around Alice and led her to the room to the right.

"This is the door to the garden, Drew says they get most light here, I don't know." Doyle opened this door and revealed a patio covered in plants and flowers, a neat path winding through with occasional benches. Alice walked to the nearest one and read the plaque next to it.

"In loving memory of Doyle O'Connoley. A brother and annoyance." Alice read aloud. She turned back to the brother and annoyance. "You weren't that annoying, were you to deserve such a stab?" Doyle chuckled at the vauge memories he had preserved with care over the years.

"Are you kidding? I was terrible to Drew, but she put up with it stoically. She hit me, and I stopped for five minutes." Doyle smiled at Alice. "And you were the goody-two-shoes sister?"

"No." Alice sat on the bench and Doyle joined her. "I was the brave one."

Doyle laughed. "You're in the Barnabys, renound for bungee jumping. You have to give me more than that."

Alice fiddled with her fingers, then turned to Doyle. "You promise not to tell? I had to sign a confidentiality agreement, one I'm breaking." Doyle nodded and promised. "If I tell of my childhood, then you tell me yours." He agreed. She took a breath.

"I was the sixth oldest, but probably my parents' favorite oldest. Beacause," she paused, her voice cold. "My family is as bad as they say. Katie, the oldest, became a hopeless drunken partier when she turned 17. Most kids learn about the facts of life from parents or a book. My sister just left her door open and damned a curious 8 year old. She quit school, just partied and drank. Didn't try to hide it. My sister has lost a good bit of the inheritance covering her ass from paparazzi. Last I heard, my parents were still trying to convince her to go to rehab, and she was threatening emancipation. Witch is funny, because she is 29. Jesse, the next oldest at 27, is the boy I'm closest to, an artist, and he with drew from the family for about a year for his art. Amanda, at 25 is a lawyer who cut communications with us when she went to college, going back to her given name, and denies any relation to us. Damon is a soccer player for Barcelona, I think I was the last person to see him, he stopped by when he played. He has a wife and a child in Spain, a newborn. She'd be 7 months now. He was on the wrong side for a while, admitted to me that he has tried bong. But he pulled through. Bennie is the one I'm closest to, she's only a year older at 21. She was the sane one in my life besides Jesse, she is my rock and advisor. She's still in college at UVA for literature. Me next, then Thomas, 17, graduated this year. I missed it." Her voice had turned caring, reluctant at the last two described. It remained this way. "Kennedy, or Ken, is 14, he's the trouble maker. Stink bombs at VIP dinners, for Dad's present last year he gave him a wrapped box of nothing. Said opening it's the best part." Doyle laughed, and Alice smiled. "Jane is 8, she's our angel. Never a toe out of place, blonde, blue eyed. And Lilah is 6, and is our shy one. Like Linus, from Peanuts? When she speaks, it hits you that she's a darn smart girl. But most of my life at home, 5 years, I was the youngest in a family worse than the Hills, Laguna Beach, Baywatch, and any reality tv show they could ever cook up." Alice looked up at Doyle, who was staring thoughtfully at the plaque next to the bench. "Doyle, I've held up my part of the bargain. It's you turn." She prompted.

"Later." Doyle stood and took her hand, pulling her up.

"What! No, you-" Alice protested, but Doyle shook his head.

"I'll tell you I promise. Later. Now, we still have the east and west wings to show." He pulled her out of the garden, back into the house that looked slightly dark. "This is the music room, Zak had a guitar and sound board in there. And recording studio." Doyle didn't open the door, instead lead her down the two hallways to the east wing. "This is Doc and Drew's wing. Their room in the middle," he gestured to a tan door, "the meditation room on the right," this time a maroon red door, "and mini gym." He pointed with his left hand to the light steel door on the right. Alice realized Doyle hadn't let go of her hand, and she tried to remove her hand from his. Doyle's grip was strong, and she could have pulled away if she tugged harder, but Doyle didn't seem keen to let go, so she left her hand in his. Alice explored the gym quickly, then returned ot Doyle, who once again took her hand. This time, she did remove it from his grasp, and Doyle made no move to retrieve it, though she did catch him looking at her while see tested the weights in the gym. And when she was looking at every other part of the house. He lead her to the last wing of the house, the west wing, the guest part of the house. "The room on the right is mine," Doyle pointed to the door covered in signs like Zaks', except his all said 'Doyle' or 'Blackwell' in a different font. "the middle is the game room." He opened the door to reveal a room with a tan, dark red, and wood themed room with 3 game cabinets, three tv's, three couches, and game consoles.

"Someone's OCD." Alice ran her fingers over the couch. She turned back to Doyle with a smile. "How's your Mario Kart?" She tossed Doyle a wheel, and powered up the Wii. "Ready?" She counted down with the video game, and she and Doyle took off.

15 races later, Doyle was losing overall. "9 out of 16?" he offered. Alice just laughed and broke connection with the controls and the Wii.

"You were the one pressuring me on. I should probably see my room before dinner." She quit the game and rose from the couch, leaving an imprint where she had furiously fought against Doyle.

"How'd you get so good at video games?" Doyle put down the Wii wheel and followed her out of the room.

"Having two older brothers go through the same stage you and Zak are in makes for a lot of practice." Alice walked in front of her room and sighed. 'Here goes." Doyle opened the door.

The room was Japanese inspired, with a picture of Tokyo traffic at night, the crispness of it all, and the Frank Lloyd Wright furniture. It was done almost all in white and red, with a little black and chrome. Alice gasped, not expecting anything like this. She walked to the bathroom, opening the door to a bronze gold room, charming and comfy in a modern way. Doc and Drew walked in as Alice sat down on the bed, testing the mattress.

"Do you like it?" Doc asked watching the girl's eyes sweep the room again, delight on her features.

"I like it." She sounded pleased, as she noticed the tv across from the bed, with the stereo there.

"Then we'll get your stuff Wednesday. I'm sorry we couldn't do it earlier, but Doc and I have that meeting today, tomorrow we are going to tackle the Sasquach problem up near Mount Rainier, and Tuesdays are Zak's full training days. So we can go to New York Wednesday-" Drew sat next to Alice.

Alice shook her head. "My stuff is in Paris. Is it okay if we go there, not home?" there was a slight plea in her voice.

"Of course! I just assumed that your parents moved you stuff-" Drew looked stunned.

"My adoptive parents haven't visited me in a year total, before I was kidnapped." Alice leaned on Drew's shoulder. "I'm not ready to face them." She whispered. Drew nodded, and helped Alice up.

"And you won't yet. But now, I think I hear an Allegwi. No, wait, that's just Doyle's stomach." Drew smirked at her brother, more, his stomach, the butt of many jokes since joining the Saturdays.

"Har-de-har-har." Doyle rolled his eyes and followed Doc out of the room.

"I call cook." Alice's eyes brightened as soon as she walked out the door, bipolar in her switch.

Doc shook his head no. "You were this close to tears not a minute ago, but you're happy to make us dinner? No, it's my day, and I think I'll make Thai stir-fry." Alice insisted, but Doc refused to move.

"Fine. I'll let you off with a warning today. At least, put me in the cook rotation. Wait, one sec, Drew?" She called behind her. She and Doc had sped ahead of the siblings.

"Mm-hm?" Drew was paying attention to both Doyle, (who was telling Drew about Alice's reactions on the tour at Drew's command) and the conversation ahead of her.

"If we could make a stop in New York, I need to pick up Zak's school books. I can arrange something with my old middle school." Alice tapped her chin. "It's in Westchester, I hope you don't mind?"

"No, we can make the stop. Can you do the arranging with the school? What school is this?"

"It's actually the brother school of my school, I went to an all-girls. But all of my brothers go there, my dad went, and we have some pull with the board." The group entered the kitchen, to see Zak frantically change the channel to the nightly news.

"Hey, Mom, Dad, what's up?" Zak nervously pushed a hand through his hair, and Fisk offered a wave. Doc raised an eyebrow at the television. Zak smiled weakly and pressed 'Last' on the remote, showing that he had been watching Weirdworld. Doc walked over to his soon and whispered in his ear.

"Alice seeing the place she was held could trigger some bad reactions, don't watch it when she's-" he was cut off by Alice swinging herself over the couch and landing on the seat next to Zak in front of the kitchen TV.

"Weirdworld? Ah, I've been wondering how my old friend Munya is doing." Alice watched the bodyguard/chauffer unlock the cage of a spotted chimaera for Argost to train, like a ringmaster and a lion. She sniggered. "I don't know how anyone can stand being anywhere near 25 meters next to him, he reeks. I don't think he's had a bath since the Spanish Inquisition." She laughed her throaty laugh.

"Munya, if you please, you're distracting my toy!" Argost rasped as if on cue. Everyone in the kitchen stared at the TV as the creepy pale/purple man put the chimaera back in the cage. Doc grunted his disgust by the wok on the stove and Drew went back to chopping veggies.

"Zak, Doyle, set the table so Alice can see how we do it." Drew instructs the two, who moan and groan, but get up and set the table as fast as possible but as to pass inspection. Alice shakes her head and laughs, tuning back to the cable.

"Ooh, The Mummy is on tonight!" Alice high-fived Zak. "One of my favorites."

"One and two are pretty good, but the third sucked. Evie wasn't the same actress, and Brendan Frasier needs to let go of the franchise. I'll watch it with you." Doyle observed, crunching on a siren-red bell pepper he stole from his sister's pile of chopped veggies. He had gotten bopped on the head hard with a wooden spoon that had threatened to break in retaliation.

"Can I watch it? Please, Dad? Doyle and Alice are staying up!" Zak tried puppy eyes, that had made the most hardened marketers crack, but Solomon Saturday wasn't a food marketer, and he was used to pleas and begs from his only human son.

"No, Zak, it starts at 10, and you know fully well that only a week ago you were excited for you bedtime of 9:45." Doc turned back to the pan and stirred the stir-fry.

Alice leaned to Zak. "If it makes you feel better, my bed time at 11 was 9." Zak brightened at this, but remained sulky until dinner.

"Come and get it!" Drew practically sang as she placed the stir-fry, rice, dumplings, and spring rolls on the table. Doc sat at the head, with Zak on his right, and Alice on his right. Doyle, acting casual, had sat next to Alice, taking Drew's preferred seat, so she sat next to her son, not in the least put out. The dishes were passed to the right, and everyone dug in.

"This is amazing, Doc, where'd you get the recipe?" Alice dug in with gusto.

"The dumplings from Taiwan, the rice is Japanese, the stir-fry is Thai. My friends sent me the rice and dumpling recipie, but we got the stir-fry in Thailand." Doc swallowed before answering.

"We stayed at Dr. Kolbe's house. He had a Thai woman friend who cooked for him who taught Dad." Zak spoke with his mouthful, making the sentences garble together, barely making sense.

"Omfasha kokaskill Cumberland timaz." Alice smiled behind her cup of water.

"Wha? Why are you talking like that?" Zak's eyebrows were mussed in confusion as he tried to understand his teacher.

"I thought you wanted to." Alice was barely hiding giggles, and Doyle started laughing, getting the joke.

"No I don't want to." Zak spoke with his mouth empty, and it echoed with confusion. Drew was trying to keep a straight face, Doc was as confused as his son.

"Oh, now I understand." Alice nodded sympathetically. "When you aren't gobbling with your mouthful." Zak's eyes widened in understanding. He scowled at Doyle, who was howling with laughter, and poked his rice.

"Oh, Young Frankenstein." Doc nodded, remembering. "Drew, was that the one we watched-"

"Yeah, when I had contractions with Zak. We never got to that part." Drew smiled at her men, Zak and Doc. "One of Dad's favorites, it's one of mine…" she dragged off, smiling at memories no one else could see.

"Dad showed it to me the day I turned 13. Literally the moment the last guest went home around 10, he popped it in and we watched it, just me and him. Is something bothering you, Inspector?" Alice smiled at Doyle, who was doing imitations of the Inspector moving his prosthetic arm, slapping in every direction.

"We vill go back to my 'ouse for a little sponge cake unt some vine unt- sh-crap!" Doyle quoted the movie, doing a convincing German accent, changing the line at the last moment to make it Zak-appropriate.

"Nice save." Doc's eyes sparkled, saying he noticed the change. "Is everyone done?" noticing that everyone hadn't touched their plates in a while, but Alice and Doyle immediately turned from their conversation and back to their food. Doc let out a breath, and observed the table. His beautiful, hot, smart wife chatting to Alice, his handsome son swirling his stir-fry around his chopsticks and listening to Doyle's latest story about the finding of an Augurey and it's release onto the moor. Doyle's story's checked in more recently, and Doc began to feel a fondness for his annoying, frustrating, yet smart and a good teacher of a little brother. And Alice, his beautiful, strong goddaughter. She was like her father in so many ways, her stubbornness, her love of learning and teaching, and her fighting style. But, she was like her mother. Doc had been one of the 3 people that were friends with David that had met Sylvia. She was gorgeous, no one could deny that, but she had a steel core that most people would write out because of her looks. Just like her mother, Alice had a determination, drive and endurance that athletes would kill to have. Komodo brushed against Doc, letting out a hiss of contentment. "Zak, let Komodo eat his own dinner, don't give him yours." He instructed his son, but he kept thinking. Fiskerton was a valuable member of the family, and Doc had grown to see him as his own. And Zon had lately allowed Doc to pet her while he was in a thinking mood. He was, there was no other way to put it, content. Happy with his life. Tomorrow held a challenge, and tonight held his family and wife. He was inexplicitly happy.

"Doc, you look constipated. You okay?" Doyle's eyes glittered with mute mirth.

"Fine." Doc snapped out of his thoughtful stupor. "Alice, will you help me clear the table? Doyle, may you please wash, and Zak, will you load?"

A chorus of 'sures' and 'uh-huhs' agreed, and Drew blew Doc a kiss. He smirked, then turned to put the wok pan in Doyle's hands, that took it under the running water. Once clean to a degree, Doyle gave it to Zak who put it into the dishwasher.

Drew, being excused from kitchen duty, went to the tv and turned to the news. "Argost!" she squeaked. Everyone turned to the reporter, who continued the story.

"V. V. Argost's party is an A-list only invite," the correspondent was dressed to impress, standing in front of the nightmare factory.

"Who will be attending?" the newscaster gave a brilliant smile at the camera, as if it could tell that everyone in the Saturday household was spellbound to the tv.

"Madonna and Guy just pulled up, Brad and Angie, Kaitlin Burke and her latest boy." The correspondent returned the smile.

"What about Alice Barnaby? She's been at all of Argost's parties lately. Is she attending?" the newscaster's smile became more mischeifious.

"No, surprisingly, Alice is not here tonight, and when asked that same question, the host said, quote "Alice will be returning soon. She is visiting family tonight and couldn't attend. Stir-fry night, you know, can't miss. Unquote." the newscaster chuckled as he unknowingly delivered a punch to the gut of Alice Barnaby. A thud brought the Saturdays out of their horror.

Alice had dropped Doc's dish. "I shouldn't be here." Her voice was filled with despair and the echo of giving up.

"NO. You are staying. I will chain you to the house, but you are not leaving." Doc looked down furiously at Alice. Doyle chuckled.

"You think it's funny?" Doc rounded on Doyle. "I'm not kidding! I've been out of your life for five years-"

"You have a child to raise, one who can save the world! I'm not putting you or Zak in danger!" Alice's voice rose to meet Doc's tone. "Haute will take me back the moment I walk back in the door, Dr. Bartholomew will gladly have me back on the team, don't be an idiot-"

"Now you're calling me an idiot! Look at the pot calling the kettle black!" Doc's eye twitched. Alice's jaw was set, him staring down and she stared up. Doyle sighed.

"What, Doyle." Alice and Doc spoke in unison.

"This is exactly what Drew and I did when I first moved in. You two are gonna be like a coupla territorial house cats for about a week. Doc, this is your best friend's _daughter._ You miss him, and his daughter is gonna be like him here. You are mad about his death, and here he his, disobeying you. You're mad." Doc's gaze stayed fixed, but it softened. "Alice, Doc is like your father. Your dad's been dead for 14 years, and now you've got your parental figure telling you what to do, and you don't like it. You don't want to listen." Doyle's smug smile widened as Alice stepped forward and hugged her godfather.

"Are you a psychiatrist? Doyle, that was really good!" Zak took a plate from Doyle and loaded it.

"After Alexandria's library, I've started reading more. Psychiatry for Dummies." Doyle shrugged and turned back to the sink smile intact. "Though, normally, psychiatrists don't work for free."

"Thank you, Doyle." Alice cooed, sending a smile his direction. Doyle smiled back, then turned to Drew.

"Turn off that news channel, find the weather." Drew scowled and did as told.

"It's nice that you're tacking precautions about training Zak, making sure that the weather's nice." Doc approved.

"Uh, sure, we'll go with that." Doyle avoided Doc's eyes.

"You think the weathergirl's hot." Alice sighed. When Doyle gave her the stink eye, she smiled. "I have two older brothers, remember? We watched the weather every night without fail."

"With Jesse and Damon, I don't doubt it." Drew's eyes sparkled as they met Doc's with laughter. "Remember when, at our wedding-"

"Drew, we swore never to speak of that again." Doc's met Drew's with matched enthusiasm.

"I know, I know. Doyle, if you're done, can we spar? You haven't got your daily beat down." Drew flipped the channels aimlessly.

"Hey, we're tied, and if I remember, I've beaten you all this week." Doyle turned and shook a finger at his sister.

"There is a reason for that, but you don't want me to elaborate. So, seeing as you're done, Alice, would you like to watch as my brother gets his butt handed to him?" Drew found an episode of 'Real Housewives of Texas' and stopped her flipping in time to see a woman flip a table. Drew quickly changed the channel.

"Yeah, I'd love to, but what about Doc and Zak? And where's Zon at? I haven't seen her the whole time I've been here." Alice reached down to pet Komodo, then withdrew her hand when Komodo snapped at it.

"Sunday night is Father-son feel-good bonding time, so Drew and I usually spar. We can add you to the rotation." Doyle petted Komodo, the lizard hissing in lazy happiness. Doyle smirked at Alice, who flipped him the bird when no one was looking.

"Zon's nervous around strangers, she'll come out when she's good and ready to meet you." Drew stood up, gave her son a hug and her husband a kiss as they left the kitchen. "Ready? Let's go." Drew left the kitchen to head to the underground, while Doyle and Alice began a game of 'Flip the other off when Drew isn't looking and try not to get caught, and look interested in whatever Drew's saying when she turns around." Doyle was winning, finding interesting ways to show Alice up.

"Drew, Doyle didn't show me underground. Can you give me this tour?" Alice quickly tried to cover up her loss, but Doyle's smug smirk stayed planted on his face.

"Of course. There is one main hallway. The first on your right is the lab. Next, the all-around room. We get calls here, mostly other Secret Scientists or my son and brother calling to say a lake attacked them." Drew rolled her eyes at her brother.

"Hey, how was I supposed to know the lake would attack us-" Doyle began to get defensive, but Drew cut him off.

"Next is the door to the airship and other planes hanger." Drew turned back down, this time on the left side. "This is the gym." Drew opened the door, revealing a gym floor, as well as a punching bag, mats, kendo weapons, treadmills, and ellipticals.

"Ready?" Drew took a fighting stance. Alice noticed a couch in view of everything a took a seat. Doyle smiled, then took a pose.

"Break." Doyle rubbed his sore shoulder 45 minutes later. He and Drew were still tied, and Drew was declaring a sudden death round.

"Ready." Doyle's shoulder made a crack, and Alice flinched. Doyle didn't even blink.

"GO!" Drew shot for Doyle's legs, and Doyle jumped, catching his sister under the armpits, swinging her around, flinging her away, Drew sticking her leg out, and landing perfectly, lunging again. Doyle held her in a half nealson on the mats. Alice, deciding Drew could use a leg up, shot Doyle the bird, with Drew not seeing. Doyle's shock gave Drew the upper hand, and she kicked him in the shins, making him fall over. He shot up, grabbing her shoulder. Drew gabbed his hand and flipped him up and over. He landed on his feet lunging fast and furious. Drew simply stepped out of the way, sending Doyle face first into the mats. He slowly flipped face up, groaning. A shadow passed over him, and he opened his eyes. Alice stood over him, a hand to help him up extended. He saw Drew through the window to the gym, getting water. He grabbed it, then pulled her down, pinning her under him.

"I can't believe you fell for that!" He laughed to her face. Alice slowly smirked.

"And I can't believe you gave me this window." And she kneed him. Doyle rolled over, faking deep pain.

"My… balls…" he rolled around.

"Are not in your stomach, stop the theatrics." Alice giggled. "You look like a horse taking a dust bath."

"How would you know?" Doyle asked.

"Um… uh… your face!" Alice widened her eyes, trying to look threatening, but breaking down and giggling. Doyle raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, so I didn't have a good comeback to that. But 'your face' is a good one." Alice half smiled.

"So is 'your mom'." Doyle offered.

"'Your mom had bad science.'" Alice quoted. Doyle stared at her.

"What? Don't you insult my mama!" Doyle pinned her again, her laughter infectious, his mouth turning upward into a smile.

"Well, Doyle, she's my mama too, and I remember she enjoyed a good 'yo mama' joke." Drew tugged on his shoulder and handed him a water. Doyle stood up, and kept his boot on Alice's abs, pinning her down. At least until she grabbed Doyle's boot and pulled him down, using him momentum to pull herself up.

"Thanks." She took a water bottle from Drew and walked with her out of the gym.

"Doyle, I'm turning off the lights in five seconds, and when I do that, the gym locks the other doors. Five, four…" Drew began a countdown and Doyle sprinted to the women in the doorframe. "one." Drew finished with Doyle leaned over the in hall way, breathing deeply.


	2. Chapter 2: Alice's First Day

**Hey, sorry, the stupid publisher is getting me mixed up; I'm new on the ropes. Anyway, chapter 2! I can't say this enough, PLEASE review! Like it love it or leave it… I don't own the Saturdays, only Alice. **

And I don't own the Mummy. Rick or Evie. Or Spongebob.

All possible thanks to the bestest beta eva, Pirate-Chan. All together now- BEST EVER. Danke!

* * *

"Don't ever do that again," Doyle sent daggers at his sister, standing up straight. "That was cold."

"That was payback for the little 'incident' in the library." Drew sent those daggers right back. "I know you too well to believe that your grenades 'accidentally' went off."

"You're scared of getting locked in a gym." Alice tilted her head skeptically. Doyle shook his head no.

"I'm scared of being caged in." Doyle crossed his arms at his sister.

"I'm sorry." Drew looked down. They looked like a father and a guilty daughter.

"You know why I hate being caged." Doyle's voice softened.

"You're a free soul who hates being captured?" Alice tried to break the fragile ice forming. Doyle's eyes were emotionless.

"It was a punishment I'll never forget." Doyle's voice was flat. "Age 9, punishment for stealing from the boss- stolen food for a friend who was sick. I was placed in a dark room, no door, I forget how I got in. I stayed in there 3 days without food."

"Oh." Alice looked down.

"Come on. Let's make our Sunday Sundaes." Drew walked up the steps to the elevator. "We make sundaes while Zak is asleep." She explained to Alice. "If you wouldn't mention it, I'd be obliged."

"Scotty, beam me up," Doyle joked, his sullen, flat mood over, as he walked up the steps behind his sister. By the time Doyle and Alice reached the family room, (they had been waylaid by Fisk wanting in) Drew had the ice cream out thawing and was searching for the chocolate sauce.

"Its 10:30, Zak's in bed. You want to watch the Mummy?" Doc's voice wafted from over the couch, where he was sitting in a recliner reading. Doyle walked over to the couch and grabbed the remote, and flipped to FX, where Evie was bidding on Rick's life.

"Oh, we missed my favorite part." Alice mussed her eyebrows in sadness, then helped Drew crush Oreo's for the sundaes.

"Doyle, you and Zak ate half this package" Drew said as she whacked the bag of Oreo's with a rolling pin. Doyle shrugged.

"At least we didn't eat the sour worms, you did." Doyle muted the commercial for an anti fungal cream with a disgusted look on his face.

"No, I ate some of the Reese's Pieces." Drew examined the bag of gummi worms.

Doc cleared his throat. "I ate the gummi worms." Doyle unmuted the TV in time for the movie.

Alice shook her head. "You and my dad; Put a bowl of Lemonheads in front of him, and the whole thing would be gone in 15 minutes."

"Sour worms, sour attitude," Doyle shook his head in mock pity. He turned back to the screen to watch Brendan Fraiser shoot an Egyptian ninja.

"Fine, if you all have had a start at eating the sundaes I get the whipped cream." Alice grabbed the Redi Whip and when Drew handed her ice cream, Alice stuck the can under her arm while she put on toppings. Once done, she angled the can and piled on the whipped cream. She set the can down and went to watch the movie, stealing Doyle's spot while he and Doc made their sundaes.

"Doyle, is the book 'The Book of the Dead' over here yours? Cuz' it's in a good spot to be dripped upon," Alice informed Doyle before moving the book to the table next to the couch.

"Yes, it's mine, it's from the library, please don't drip on it" Doyle stood behind the couch, his ice cream invisible among the toppings. "And thanks for keeping my spot warm."

"No, thank you for making my seat warm" Alice smirked and bounced in her seat, and turned back to Jonathan running with a key overboard. Doyle grumbled and sat in the seat next to Alice. Doc sat back in his recliner, and Drew sat on a cushion in front of Doc's feet and leaned back on his legs.

"Brendan, how could this movie be a bit good with out you shooting something?" Alice mused as Rick pulled out a semi auto and shot a mummy who continued to moan and rot his way towards him.

"I wonder if he thought for a moment, 'Hey, this thing is immortal and a skeleton! A gun won't do crap!'" Doyle scraped the edge of his empty sundae bowl.

"Doyle, I don't care what everyone says; you are the fastest eater in America," Doc shook his head as he reached the ice cream in his sundae.

"You have to be in the business," Doyle didn't say mercenary business anymore; he just called it the business. He waited for a commercial and rose to put his bowl in the sink.

"In my business, you don't eat anything, fast or slow," Alice crunched on an Oreo piece. "It's considered fashion heresy."

"So you fashion types survive on coffee, water, and willpower." Drew smiled as she placed her finished bowl next to her on the ground.

"Looks like the fast eating gene is genetic," Alice laughed. "But yes, we survive on our willpower, coffee, Red Bull, or as it's whispered about me sometimes, photosynthesis."

"Better put you out on the porch at lunch, I could save some money, my son and brother-in-law are eating me out of house and home." Doc nudged the couch with his boot, moving it a couple inches.

"I am not. You're just blaming it on me to cover up the microwave incident." Doyle said indignantly.

"Doc, what happened to the microwave?" Drew turned to her husband.

"Uh, movie's back on!" Doc gave a hesitant smile and shot a warning look at Doyle, who shrugged back.

"So we're hunting what tomorrow?" Alice turned to Doc.

"A Sasquach tribe is giving a Mt. Rainer seismologist center a headache, so we're going up to see what we can do, probably an open and shut relocation case. Zak can use his powers, and we'll be done before dinner." Doc ruffled his hair.

"So Zak uses his power on the leader, the pack follows the leader and we pick up any stragglers. Is it this fun everyday?" Alice yawned.

"I know you're used to a bit more of a challenge. We're using it as a training exercise for Zak; otherwise we'd just have a local Bigfoot herder do it." Drew nodded.

"Sorry, what I said was out of line." Alice hung her head.

"See, that's how I was taught to I.D. the rich. Normal people don't talk like that." Doyle sat back down next to Alice.

"Why would you need to identify the wealthy?" Alice wrinkled her nose.

Doyle shrugged "to pickpocket." Alice's face turned somber as she went back to the movie. It had flown by, and it was quarter to 11, only just below halfway done.

"This is hard to believe that a power like this could be real." Doc flung his hand haphazardly at the Mummy, who was sucking the life out of one of the American explorers.

"I'm sure Argost wouldn't hesitate to suck the life out of his own mother if the occasion called." Alice finished her ice cream and rose to put the bowl in the sink while Doyle reclaimed his spot.

"Argost is- well, he is unexplainably evil, insane, and criminally messed up." Drew leaned her head against Doc's leg. Alice let out a yawn.

"I think its beddy-bye time for the widdle girl." Doyle smirked as Alice rose.

"This widdle girl kicked your butt, and even in this state won't hesitate to reprove herself if challenged." Alice hugged Doc from behind the recliner and nodded to Drew. "Is that fancy talk for you?"

"Yup, I can pickpocket you now." Doyle smirked, and then smiled 'good night' to the girl, who left for her room.

"You two are gonna either hate each other or love each other." Doc shook his head.

"Aren't those two the same things?" Doyle smiled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX :8 ;) :$ : 

Doyle yawned, and ruffled his Mohawk as he listened to Zak's cartoons through the walls. He lazily slumped into the kitchen to see Alice already at work in the kitchen, whipping pancake batter in a bowl, biting her lip in concentration, still in a borrowed pair of Drew's pajamas. Zak was in front to the kitchen TV, watching Argost crack a whip at the camera, and then changing the channel to watch a yellow sponge at a grill when it came to commercials. Doyle slouched into one of the seats at the island.

"Good Morning!" Alice said happily. Doyle grunted.

"I didn't catch that," Alice teased Doyle as she grabbed a ladle from the vase where some kitchen supplies stood.

"G' Morning" Doyle said audibly. Alice ladled some batter onto the skillet and 6 bumpy shaped pancakes cooked happily.

"Good morning, Doyle." Drew hugged her brother from behind "morning Alice." Alice nodded, and biting her tongue, flipped a pancake.

"Morning, Drew. Doyle, could you get the syrups and the butter and put them on the table?" Doyle rose and did so. "Zak, could you set the table, at the next commercial break?" Alice called to the youngest as she took a flipper and put two finished pancakes on the utensil, putting them in oven on a cookie sheet with a dozen others.

"Sure." Zak rose when the announcer told him to 'don't move, we'll be back soon'. He set the table, before returning back to the couch with a yawn.

"Tired? You could have slept in." Doc came in fully dressed and cheerful, only to see 4 people sleepily stare back in their PJs. "Though I don't want to miss Alice's pancakes." He sat down at the head of the table, and Doyle joined him on his right.

"Oumpsf shed carmihale." Fisk greeted everyone, and Zak gave him a high five. Drew sat down at Doc's left and gave him a good morning kiss. Zak pulled a disgusted face as he sat down next to Doyle. Alice placed pancakes directly on everyone's plates and sat down next to Drew. Syrup pouring, buttering, and cutting took up too much of the tired peoples' energy to talk, excluding Doc who was not tired.

"I want everyone ready to go and in the airship by 10," It was 9:15 "We have a 45 minute trip to reach Rainer, and I think if we work hard we could be done by 1." Doc dug into his pancakes. Doyle's and Zak's mouths were too full to answer, but they nodded. Alice and Drew glanced at each other, communicating to each other that they'd both like some more time, but that Doc wouldn't budge. Drew shrugged, stabbed a pancake piece and ate it. Doyle and Zak finished, put their plates in the dishwasher, and sprinted to their rooms. Drew finished in a slightly classier way, not sprinting through the clean up progress, and Alice followed her foot steps, leaving Doc to eat alone. He shrugged to Fisk then proceeded to eat another bite.

"Ready, Doyle?" Alice's voice didn't scare Doyle; it just brought him back down to reality. He had been in a stupor, due to the fact that he'd stayed up past 2 a.m. working on some things. He turned to Alice and caught his breath. She wore well- worn jeans, ripped at the knee, held up by a belt. Black Doc Martins' had seen many fights, but were still in good shape. Her white shirt sleeves stopped at the elbow, a knife held in place by a holster on her bicep. Her hair pulled back, she looked ready to take on anything, whether it was an evil maniac or an annoying salesman. She looked good.

"Uh, yeah." He held out his arm for her, and with raised eyebrows, Alice took it. They walked to the airship and into the cock pit, where they were the last to arrive. Zak was bouncing with excitement, already strapped in his seat. Drew and Doc closed the door and began liftoff as soon as Doyle came in after Alice.

"Hey, watch the jet pack." Doyle grumbled, and took the empty seat. Alice stood until Doyle looked up from buckling. "Oh, my god, I'm sorry, I didn't-" Doyle rose to give Alice his seat, but she motioned him down.

"I want to do something in the gym, sit down." She waited until they got off the platform and headed into the gym. Zak sniggered.

"What" Doyle scowled at him.

"Oh, my god, I'm sorry, I didn't-" Zak put his imitation of Doyle in falsetto, and Doyle reverted to his latest version of punishing Zak, flicking him.

"Do I have to separate you two?" Drew gave a mock wag of her finger. Doyle and Zak scowled, their facial images mirrored causing Doc and Drew laughed. Half and hour in, with Zak distracted by Cryptids Monthly Magazine, Doyle quietly unbuckled, stood up, and walked out of the room to the gym. No one had looked up, he hadn't made a sound. Doyle smiled. That was what he was paid for.

Alice was in the gym, not using the elliptical or treadmill, but the knife dummy for practice. Doyle silently watched, as every time, Alice was quick and quiet, not making a sound as she severed the main artery in the dummy's neck, killing it if it were alive to be killed. Through the ribs, down the collarbone, down from the arm pit, Alice was swift, quick, and silent in her kill. Silent, but deadly, Doyle chuckled to him self. Alice heard, and turned, taking the hari-ka position of attack, one that was a traditional offence, but Alice shifted her foot back for quick defense.

"Now that I've seen all your moves, you can't surprise me." Doyle didn't even move. He lazily pushed off the door jam.

"Those weren't all my moves." Alice swung her back leg around, catching Doyle on the bicep.

"Ow!" Doyle hadn't been expecting the attack. Alice smirked, and he faked left. It didn't fool her, so instead of trying another fake, he simply flipped her. Lying on her back, it looked over for Alice. She smiled. She rocked back on her neck and hands, flinging her legs up, and rolling up, her back to Doyle. She spun around.

"Truce?" He offered his hand.

She took it. "You always quit that fast?" She asked. He twisted her hand behind her back.

"No. Same question to you." He chuckled to himself.

"Dr. Beeman talks like that." It wasn't a cutting observation, or a particularly witted one. It was simple, in meaning and statement. It struck him that this uncomplicated sentence was pure Alice: not the aristocrat air she sometimes had while talking, nor the fast wit that came from years of fight. It was Alice who spoke.

"Yeah, he does. He's just odd. He didn't believe us when Zak Monday got out of the smoke mirror in Paris. Nothing more could describe him." Doyle didn't let go of Alice's arm.

Alice ignored the smoke mirror comment. "You guys were in Paris and you didn't tell me?" She sounded mad.

"Yeah, we were Cirque du Fantastic." Doyle rolled his eyes.

"Cirque du Fantastique." Alice corrected. Doyle rolled his eyes again. "And Dr. Bart did hint that the mess up was Secret Scientist stuff. But Paris! The most belle _Cite _in the world, the capitol of art, cuisine, fashion-"

"It stinks and has no clubs accessible for the adventurer in need of a rendezvous point," Doyle wasn't impressed. Alice looked like he had struck her grand mother. Then she smiled.

"You don't speak French, do you?" she asked.

"I speak German, Spanish, Arabic, Israeli, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian." Doyle defended.

"But you don't speak French. You can't go anywhere, clubs or otherwise because you don't speak French. Learn, and the whole place will open." Alice tested her arm, Doyle hadn't loosened his grip."I learned early, so I knew it when I came. And I love it as my homeland since."

"Why?"

"Because there, connections don't matter; they're nice, but they don't matter. You survive on talent and talent alone, and your last name is nothing. You make it or break. If you break, you live in the most beautiful city in the world, where you can find a job until you do make it, and where good food is cheap. And if you make it, you live in the most beautiful city in the world, with a big apartment with a gorgeous view, good food, good clothes, and amazing art. What's to lose?" Alice turned around. "My last name meant nothing. It was as meaningful as Smith or Jones here. I had talent, and that's how I made it. For the first time in my life, it was Alice who mattered, not Barnaby."

Doyle nodded. "I understand. You know my last name was changed to O'Connoley. So the name Blackwell was nothing. I couldn't even remember my name was different until a couple years ago. Blackwell carries weight. O'Connoley doesn't, and I survived the business because I had talent; because I was trained well. Because the name of the guy I worked for carries more weight in the underworld then Al Capone."

'I-"Alice started, but Doc interrupted.

"Doyle, Alice, we have some help. Come down to the cockpit, we're here."

Doyle let go of Alice, and they didn't say anything as they walked to their family.

"Mr. Aliens-are-real is not gonna rain on this parade." Doyle whispered as they came to the door.

"Dr. Beeman? What the heck would he want with Bigfoot?" Alice went through the door.

Zak ran up to them. "Dr. Beeman is here to help because the galaxy he's studying from here doesn't show up till midnight!"

Doyle looked stunned. Alice gave a small scream. They both turned on their heels and ran from the room.

"Now that we've all remembered out manners," Doc glared at Doyle and Alice who didn't look a bit ashamed. "We'll get started. Zak, you'll go up with Zon and use your powers to control the leader. Who's that?"

"The biggest one with a silver stripe on it's back." Zak smiled at his dad. Doc smiled back.

"Right; Drew, you'll take the front on the ground. Alice, you'll take the right flank, Dr. Beeman, the left. Doyle, you'll fly above with communication with everybody. Fisk and I will take the back. Okay?" Every one nodded. Doc gestured to the meadow where the Bigfoot tribe was making camp. "Let's do this."

Zak got in the carrier on Zon, and the two took off. Doyle gave a nod to those on the ground, put in his comm link, and took off with his jetpack.

"Checking, one, two, three. Police make pixies look pleasant." Doyle's voice was patched through to the comm link everyone wore.

"You're in, Doyle. Zak? You copy?" Doc watched his son circle the leader in the air.

"I copy loud and clear." Zak giggled. "I always wanted to say that." Dr. Beeman rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"Okay. Everyone, get in position." Doc and Fisk stayed where they were. Alice nodded and using the brush in front of the forest surrounding the meadow to cover her, ran to the side of the herd, where a female was cleaning her baby. Dr. Beeman strode in front of the brush boldly, surprisingly not drawing attention. Doyle and Alice both bit down growls at the man's bluntness. Drew had to go deeper into the forest to get in front, making a path. It took a couple minutes, making the already assembled even more nervous and bored. Doyle hovered, adjusting altitude. Zak and Zon just soared, enjoying the mountain air. Dr. Beeman checked his sky coordinates for the night, and slouched. Finally, Drew popped out into the front of the opening, and waved to Doc, the signal.

"Alright, Zak, you can activate your powers and let's do this." Doc sounded pumped and stood awed as his son's eyes lit up orange, as did the leader Sasquach. The silver back stood and grunted, telling the tribe it was time to move. If the pack was surprised, they didn't show it, and simply stood, some mother's putting babies on their backs. Doyle and Zon flew higher. Drew took off running, and at first, Alice didn't see why. The leader seemed to take forever. Then, once the first step had been made, it took off, jogging, it's strides taking up a 1 to 3 of Drew's long strides. The tribe was only slightly slower then the leader, and some looked like they could go faster. But they didn't. They showed respect to the leader. Dr. Beeman began a fast jog, and Alice matched his speed, the two catching glimpses of each other through the giant cryptids. Doc and Fisk were only slightly easier- one Sasquach was slower then the others, not young enough to be carried, but far from adult. So, Doc and Fisk jogged. There was no need for talking, so no communications were made, there wasn't air or time for that. However, as Doyle switched channels, connecting everyone to everyone at random, she would get panting and heavy breathing in her ear.

"How's life down below?" Alice hadn't heard anyone speak in over an hour, and Doyle's voice scared her for a second. They had two hours to go, and the pack had slowed down so Alice was able to slow too.

"Aren't you-" she paused to take a breath, "supposed to keep the lines open?" she ended with a gasp. Wow. Had talking always made her this out of breath?

"Yes, but Professor is just doing protocol. Nothing is gonna happen." Doyle didn't sound out of air in the least. "I'll take care of everything, no need to worry your pretty little head."

"Did all that hot air up there all go to your head?" The tribe was really slowing down. They had just eaten within an hour and a half; they could go many more without food, water, or rest. Why were they slowing? Alice was slowly jogging.

"No!" the voice in her ear was sharp, defensive.

"Good. How about sending some air down here, it feels stale." Alice sniffed the air. It was decayed, weird for mountain air. And there was no bird song or bug buzzing. That's odd.

"Huh, that's weird. We're 15 miles from the nearest human population. Can't be pollution" Doyle wasn't trying to be funny or flirty or blunt, like his normal tones. He was concerned. "Comm link to Drew," He ordered the communication system. "Drew, Alice and I think something's up, but I can't see anything from here, to many trees. You got anything?"

"No, just a lake, nothing wrong with- oh, crap." Drew's voice turned devastated. "Doyle, call Doc, Martin, Zak, and Alice- we've got a problem."

Doyle left out his usual sarcasm and put on chat communications, allowing everyone to talk to everyone. "Professor, Marty, Zak, Alice? We've got a problem. Drew says we've got a lake coming up, dunno what that means-"

"Doyle, if you look through the trees directly north of us, you can see the lake. Nothing looks wrong; it's just a lak- oh, man." Zak's voice took the same trip as Drew's did.

"Nothing lives in lakes in this area except- aw, dang." Doc's voice was mixed with Fisk's tongue.

"They're supposed to have migrated or migrating by now, it's October." Mr. Martin Beeman sounded as monotone as ever.

"Will someone explain what's going on here- Mon deiu!" Alice finally realized what was coming. A train wreck, one they couldn't avoid.

"WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHY WE ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE WORRIED?" Doyle screamed into his Bluetooth.

"The Kelpie water demon," Alice was trying to breathe slowly, but was having difficultly. "It's Japanese, and the sworn nemesis of the Sasquach. If they even smell each other, it's gonna be crazy hard for Zak to keep the leader under control, which, by the way, he's doing fabulously. The Kelpie is gonna be torn between it's nemesis and it's favorite delicacy- human blood."

"Ah." Doyle now got the reason to worry.

"And I think the reason the tribe is slowing down is the smell of the Kelpies. They sense a fight. See, the mothers are putting their children down." Doc said. Indeed, they were.

"He really wants to fight" Zak meant the silver back. "It's gonna be really hard, I'm gonna have to use all my concentration."

"Doyle, you can just fly over. Fisk, you're not human, so you just run to the other side." Drew was getting her sword out. Doc pulled on his glove, the stones lighting up. Dr. Beeman was silent, just pulled out a strange looking machine; it might have been a lopsided, small frying pan with a barrel on it. Alice didn't reach for her knife, deciding that the best thing for her to do was run around, and take out the ones on the sides. Not get noticed, since she didn't have a big weapon.

"-do for Alice." Alice only caught the last part of Doyle's sentence.

"Hm? What was that?" She asked him.

"Nothing!" Everyone else chimed in at the same time, even Marty Beeman. Alice didn't say anything, but she didn't expect foul play, either.

"Okay. I can see the lake. I'd guess it's about 50 meters away." Drew reported.

"Alright; plan to action-now!" Doc cried, and at first nothing happened. Then out of the water, like a the monster from the lake, rose horses. At least, that's what they looked like. The first Kelpie to come out was the biggest, and it roared, calling the others from the lake. More and more rose, until both tribes looked about even.

The lead Kelpie brayed and charged the silver back, until Drew cut it off with her fire sword, blasting it back into the lake. The Kelpie's mate whinnied and charged to avenge it's mate. This one was stopped by a blast from Beeman's weird gun-like thing, freezing it in place. Only it's eyes moved. The Sasquaches were waiting for their leader to fight. Zak was doing his job, and the leader didn't, so the group followed him across the land around the lake, the Saturdays holding off the water demons.

Alice began to gain a rhythm, ducking under charges confused the horses. She began to find pressure points from her work with animals, ducking and pressing up on the point of pulse on the back of their back left thigh, leaving them unconscious. She rolled out from under one horse to face another, the mate of the one she just took out she assumed. Kelpie's mated for life. The male was big, and it's fangs were bared, shape shifting into a water-tiger. Now this animal didn't charge, and fought like her. It swung a giant paw out at her, swiping at her arm, leaving a shred mark on her forearm. At first there was no blood, but a single drop oozed, then another, then another, until finally, it was bleeding heavily. The tiger leaned back in lazy triumph, not yet done with his game.

She was screwed, she thought frantically, looking around. Doc knocked another animal aside to reach Fisk, who was having trouble with one kelpie. Drew needed no help, the animals seemed to be scared of fire, and refused to go near her. She was using their fear to force them into the lake. Dr. Beeman's gun was working, anything he stunned wasn't hadn't regained motion, the female he first shot was just now only shaking her ankle. Doyle was knocking out any Kelpies who tried to touch Zak as he flew low. There was no way anyone would notice Alice in time. She took a fighting stance all the same, and prepared herself.

"Oph!" The blow hit her from behind, and suddenly, she was in flight. The knock to her had stunned her senses, and it took her a second to realize Doyle had come to her rescue, and his arms held her tight against him as he flew.

"Put me back down, I can fight!" Alice hit Doyle's bicep with her uninjured arm. It felt like smacking a rock, and affected Doyle just as much. Drew had just pushed back the water-tiger Kelpie into the lake.

"Nah, you got your chance. The fight is over, the leader just passed back into forest. And you're injured." Alice realized that Doyle was putting pressure on the cut. Zak was flying over forest now as well. Drew drove back a final animal, sheathed her sword, and sprinted for the trees. No animal followed her. Dr. Beeman had move difficulty, running backward while shooting, looking relieved as his emotionless face could be as he reached the tree line. Doc and Fisk reached the line with not too many problems, and Doyle flew Alice over the battlefield.

"Everyone- meet 20 feet in from the forest line to regroup. Doyle, is Alice in emergency condition?" Doc's voice came into Alice's ear, and because of her being pressed up so close to Doyle, she heard Doc's echo in his ear too.

"She's not critical, but she should be treated ASAP." There was a slight pitch in Doyle's voice, Alice barely caught it. What was he worried about. Doyle didn't say anything more, just coasted down slowly through the trees, never letting up on the pressure on her arm. She felt like she was going to lose circulation.

"Alice!" Drew cried, and rushed foreward to her when she and Doyle landed with a first aid box. She replaced Doyle's hand with hers and began working on numbing the area. For what, Alice didn't care or know.

"Am I the only one who got hurt?" Alice screwed up her eyebrows in madness. She wasn't a rookie, yet she was the only one hurt. And she wasn't the youngest!

"Well, I almost was. Someone forgot to mention that kappas shape shift." Dr. Beeman sent a stink eye to Doc.

"You knew they were already supposed to migrate, you know that and not that they shape shift?" Doc scoffed.

"Okay, boys, bleeding seriously?" Alice gestured to her arm. "Stop the Rikki Lake."

"Can you run with a cut from a tiger?" Zak was spinning with not a care in the world as only an 11 year old can.

"Yeah, no biggie" Alice forced a smile through the pain.

"Not with a cut like that." Marty observed.

"Dr. Beeman's right. You'll have to fly. Doyle, can you-?" Doc asked Doyle.

"Yeah, I can hold her." Doyle knocked his jetpack fondly. "This baby can take about 250, we're good."

"So, Alice, you'll just fly the rest of the way with Doyle." Drew was rubbing in anti-bacteria cream into her arm.

"Like hell I am." Alice wasn't happy. Doc sent her a look and angled his head to Zak, who was trying not to look eager.

"Fine" Alice set her jaw as Drew got out a thread and needle. Doyle watched and followed Drew's instructions on how to do stitches. Alice had to resort to biting her lip to keep from yelling in pain.

"There aren't any painkillers in the Washington wilderness." Alice spoke through clenched teeth to Fiskerton, who seemed to think he could do better then Alice in her position.

"You don't need them, you're done. Now, when we get home, we'll try not to stress it or pull it, that'll pop a stitch, and that'll really hurt." Drew cut the thread at the knot. Alice stood up from her seat on the grass, and shook her arm softly. She grimaced, more in annoyance then pain, and allowed Doyle to place his arms around her waist to take off.

"You know, you haven't kept your promise to tell me your childhood." Alice's head was just below Doyle's, and her hair was distracting him.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. It's not the right time." Doyle didn't bother to look down, just kept the wind in his face, just how he liked it.

"That's your excuse, Mr. Missionary? It's not the right time? I trusted you about a day after we met and you won't tell me like, three days after?" Alice really wanted to know, she wasn't trying to be a brat.

"It's not the right time. When I tell you, you'll understand." Doyle had only told the family right after Abbey left. They wouldn't tell her, he knew.

"Alright; we've got about an hour and a half to kill, what do you want to do?" Alice was currently counting trees, and she was so bored she'd rather try to give Komodo a bath. That's a desperate measure.

"How about on of those traveling games you play on the highway?" Alice suggested.

Doyle smirked in contempt. "And where do you see road signs in the middle of the wilderness?"

"Talk about creating problems, not solutions." Alice sighed. "How about you tell me one of your amazing stories, Zak says they're really good."

Doyle laughed, and glowed with the praise. It was a new feeling, being congratulated for something legal and worthy of doing.

"Okay, what would you like to hear?" Doyle was excited, he really loved telling stories.

"Um, any one" Alice shrugged as much as she could in her position. So Doyle chose the one about the bounty hunt on the cliffs of Ireland, chasing a banshee with wax stuffed in his ears so he wouldn't hear the cries. He spoke of chases, both on cliffs and in Dublin, of being on the run, of nights on the sea, and of the beautiful animal he chased for a recording of it's call for some man called Baron Von Finster. Alice listened attentively, just as she had when Doc told their story. She was feeling drowsy and content in Doyle's arms, though she was loath to admit it. Doyle's voice was normally rough and low, but now it was soft and alto, a soothing countenance. Doyle wasn't finished when they arrived in the area pre-made for the Sasquach tribe, who had been very well behaved since the kappas.

"Zak, once the leader reaches the middle of the clearing, let him go, and turn west. Go for a half mile, the airship is waiting." Doc came in over the speakers. Zak did so. The silverback seemed mildly surprised when Zak turned him 'off', but seemed happy, seeing as he immediately began to make a nest for himself. His wife joined him, while his cub played with a stick as big as Komodo, the rest of the tribe began nests too, and Drew joined her husband, Fisk, and co-worker, and they walked to the ship together.

Alice looked up at Doyle. "Autopilot," he confirmed. "It was ahead of us 'cuz of the fight. I'll be glad to sit down." Alice wondered how he knew what she was going to ask. Doyle continued his story where he left off, the motorcycle-car chase of him and the tapes through Dublin, trying to reach his rendezvous point.

"Baron was mad that I got the money he actually owed me, and has been aiming for repayment since then." Doyle finished as he flew up onto the airship loading dock. "And last I heard, he was in Taiwan," Doyle put her down on the balcony.

"Wow. Really? Just wow." Alice smiled at him. Zak ran up to them.

"It is 3 o'clock and Dad is taking us to a surprise!" Zak was smiling. "He won't tell me where!"

"It's probably some scientist's station. You and I have had more then enough of Doc's 'surprises'." Doyle was happy that Alice would get to sit next to him, although the moment he thought that, he felt like a schoolboy with a crush and he put on his blank stare when Alice looked at him.

"Well, Doc's surprises for me have always been good. Let's go to the screening room and watch something." Alice headed off in the direction of the room, and Doyle and Zak followed her in wry amusement.

"Okay, this is probably not visiting a scientist" Doyle allowed, 2 movies and 4 hours later.

"It's not," Drew walked in. "It's something for Alice." Alice brightened at this and smirked at Doyle. "And," Drew continued, "We're five minutes away."

Zak ejected the movie they had just finished, and placed it in its case before putting it back on the shelf. Doyle smirked, knowing he would have just thrown it aside. Alice left with Drew, peppering her with questions to which Drew gave no answer. Doyle waited for Zak to turn off everything, and then left with him.

"Whaddya think it is?" Zak walked with his uncle down the hallway. "I think that we're going to Paris early."

"Good guess, but we could have flown in this to Paris. No, I think we're going to visit her grandparents." Doyle reached the cockpit doors, and began to open them, only to have them open and Alice fly out of them, a murderous look on her face. Drew and Doc stood, the air ship parked on an extensive grounds.

"New York, the Barnaby estate," Doc confirmed "they don't know we're here, Alice shouldn't have to hide from her family."

Zak nodded sympathetically, but Doyle just gave his sister and brother-in-law nasty stares, and left to find Alice.

She wasn't hard to find, she was on the roof, the huge Barnaby mansion and grounds giving a gorgeous view. She sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, which were pulled up to her chest as she stared at her home.

"You don't have to do it, you know." Doyle sat down next to her. "We can leave." Alice shook her head, but didn't say anything.

"If you want to do it, I'd imagine they'd be having dinner." Doyle said, leaning back on his hands. "They'd be sitting around the table, all of them. Little Lilah, eating her biscuit first; Jane, eating her veggies without a murmur; Kenny sniggering about the remote controlled car in the kitchen, Thomas happy about the college acceptances he got today, Bennie home bursting with stories from college; Jesse, making pictures with his mashed potatoes, and your parents, talking to everyone, whether they respond or not. And every one of them hiding the pain of not knowing where you are- hey where are you going?" Alice had risen and opened the hatch to go down back into the airship.

"To see my family" Alice left the hatch open, and by the time Doyle got down to the ground the rest of the family was sprinting after Alice, who was running towards her home. She stopped at the front of the gate and waited for them. When they reached her panting, she pressed her hand to the gel hand print analyzer. It scanned her hand, accepted it, and popped the gate open. They walked up the drive, and when they reached the door, a butler opened it before they reached it.

"Miss Alice." The balding man gave a slight bow, his English accent twanging the words. Alice smiled at the man, who seemed to shrink every time she saw him.

"Jennings, how many times must I tell you that after everything you've done for me, I should bow to you?" Alice hugged the man, and when she released, the man had tears in his eyes.

"Shall I tell the family you are here with guests?" Jennings bowed slightly to the Saturdays. "Mr. Solomon, wonderful to see you again, and Mrs. Drew, beautiful as ever I see; now, I do not know your name, young master, but you can only be Doc's son." He smiled at Zak. "And you have some relation to Mrs. Drew." He nodded his head at Doyle.

"Jennings can smell relations a mile away." Alice hadn't stopped smiling. "Zak is indeed Doc and Drew's son, and Doyle is Drew's brother."

"I should have known, that is a Blackwell smile if I saw one. The family is dining; I think they'd rather like to be interrupted." Jennings cared for the Barnaby family as if they were his own, and in a way, they were.

"And these must be some cryptids of your fame. Would they like dinner?" Jennings politely dealt with the cryptids as if they were just strange guests; he had dealt with some pretty weird people. Fisk and Komodo nodded eagerly, and Zon gave a cry. Jennings motioned for a valet, who led the cryptids away to the back porch, where the cook would fret fondly over them and give them anything they motioned for.

Jennings led Alice and the Saturdays up the grand staircase, and down to the right. He motioned to the mahogany door third on the right, and disappeared the way they had come. Alice stood in front of the doors and took a breath while the Saturdays took position behind her. Alice relaxed her shoulders and pushed open the doors.

Doyle had been right about many things, but not everything. Everyone in the Barnaby family was there eating dinner and talking. Joseph and Margaret Barnaby, Katie, Jesse, Amanda, Damon, Bennie, Thomas, Kennedy, Jane, and Lilah were having a family dinner, chatter and chewing all around. It was Lilah who noticed the intruders.

"Alice!" she cried in surprised. Every noise in the large room ceased, and Lilah and Jane pushed out their chairs and ran to Alice. Alice bent down and took them in her arms, burying her face in their hair, blonde and black curls mixed. No one else had moved, some with forks held halfway to lips. Lilah and Jane continued their reunion with their sister.

"Where were-"

"How did-"

"Who are-"

"Answers later, hugs now." Alice commanded, and the girls did as told. Alice stood again, both girls each hugging one of her legs. Kennedy rose next, and with the enthusiasm of the little boy he once was, ran to his sister and partner in crime with a hug and a smile.

"Hey, Ken. Pull any lately?" Alice stared down at the ever changing adolescent face of her brother.

"Yeah, but it was more fun with you," the teen admitted, then pulled back to let Thomas hug his sister. He was taller then her now.

"Hey, framed that big shiny diploma yet?" Alice cupped his face with her hand, his cheeks chiseled out.

"No, it's somewhere in the black hole of my room." He smiled, showing 2 years work of braces. "Nah, mom practically stole it from me the moment we finished pictures."

"And the job of actually getting it framed fell on me." Bennie gave Alice the longest hug yet.

"With your college workload? Heaven forbid!" Alice hugged her sister once more for good measure. Damon showed Alice a picture of little Carmen, waving her fists at the camera, held by her gorgeous native-Spanish mother. Amanda hugged her sister and proudly told her that she had officially changed her last name to Barnaby and was now working with people who didn't have enough money to hire a lawyer. Jesse stole the show by waltzing his little sister around the room and at the same time telling her that he had three art shows in her absence and two more scheduled.

"Alice." Katie smiled and held out her arms for her little sister. Alice gave her a hug, but it was as warm as a glacier. "Alice," Katie began, "I have something to tell you."

"You're not drunk off your ass? Congratulations, let's pop the bubbly." Alice crossed her arms.

"Uh, no. I haven't had a sip of alcohol since we got the news that you were missing." Katie pulled out a necklace, AA printed on it. "I've just finished rehab and am looking towards a job at Worthington Industries." Alice stared at the charm on the necklace, a teacup. Katie caught her stare.

"It's a reminder of what's important to me- my little Alice," Katie fingered the teacup "From the tea party from Alice in Wonderland. The news of your disappearance gave me the shock I needed to realize I was out of control. And I went for help. I've been thinking of my apology to you ever since."

"Surprise me." Alice wasn't happy.

"I'm sorry, more sorry then I've ever felt for anything in my life, that I think I could ever feel sorry for. I am so sorry that I, your older sister, did and showed those awful things I did to you, and I am fully ashamed and embarrassed."

"You should be." Alice wasn't letting her off easily.

"I sold the club." Katie told her, and Alice gasped. Katie Barnaby was well known for Psyche, a downtown warehouse she had bought and transformed into the most popular club in New York City. It was there where Katie had fallen to her lowest. She was a born entrepreneur, but the alcohol had dulled that. It had dulled many things.

"I'm sorry." Katie apologized, and waited. Slowly, Alice reached out and pulled her into a hug.

"I accept your apology." Alice's voice was muffled into Katie; Katie was 5'10 barefoot. Katie gave her a squeeze, then let Margaret, the women who felt all in this room where her own, envelope Alice. Her father gave her his smile from the head of the table, letting her know in his special way that he would be reunited with her, but not now.

Dinner at the table was abandoned, and Alice and the Saturdays were served in the living room, sitting on the couches, cushions, and the floor. The Barnaby's hadn't had a bite since Alice came back.

Alice placed her plate down, Doyle taking the uneaten pork chops. "Mom, Dad, Katie, Jess, 'Manda, Damon, Bennie, you all know Doc and Drew, we attended their wedding" Nods and agreement all around.

"The wedding was great." Jesse said with feeling.

"Oh, yes, the best I've ever been to besides my own." Damon agreed.

"So you went totally under the table at-" Doc began, but Drew cut him off with one of her looks. Damon gave Doc a smile.

"Thomas, Ken, Jane, Lilah, you don't know the Saturdays, but they know you. Doc Saturday is my father's best friend. Drew is his wife, and the elders went to their wedding. Zak Saturday is their son, and Doyle Blackwell is Drew's brother." Doc and Drew smiled at the younger ones and Zak who were getting along swimmingly, and Doyle motioned hello as best he could with his mouth full.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Should I tell you where I've been or not?"

The tale was told after the unanimous shout of "TELL!" Jane and Lilah sat wide-eyed, they were fans of Weird World and had just been talking about it with Zak. Kenny and everyone older were stunned at the tale.

"So we were just doing something today, and Doc flew me here as the surprise," Alice sipped her Coke. "And I suspect I'll grab some things from my room."

"Alice, you are over 18, therefore, I have no legal control of your actions." Margaret Barnaby's voice was barely controlled. "But know that if I could, I would under no circumstances allow you to leave my home if the president of the world asked for you personally."

"But, exactly, darling, you can't stop her and I can't think of anyone I trust more with Alice then Solomon." Joseph insisted on using proper names.

"Just saying" Margaret threw her hands up. "Jennings," she called, "bring in the cryptids and dessert, and prepare rooms for the Saturdays and Blackwell, they'll be staying with us."

There was an uproar from Drew and Doc, no, they didn't have changes of clothes, they couldn't impose, excuses, excuses.

Margaret brushed them away. "A week, no less I'll chain you here. It's the least I can do, and we have so many extra clothes it's not funny. I won't have my baby leave me so soon."

"Umpshed ifhajjop cuenfrideje?" Fisk asked. Amanda gave a little gasp at the sight of the cryptids, but they were immediately accepted. Ice cream with brownie and caramel was served, and Joseph Barnaby, at 48 and no gut to speak of, complained that the cook was too good, and he was going to be to fat for his pants if she didn't stop making such good desserts; it didn't stop him from having seconds, though.

"Master Zak, Misses Jane and Lilah, it is past your bed." Jennings helpfully reminded the kids who were clamoring over Fisk and Zon. Komodo was hissing happily, Amanda petting him, each of her stokes patting tentatively, as if the reassurance of the last one was not enough.

"But it's only ten," Lilah's dark, innocent eyes peered at her mother. Her mother sighed, and with a wave of her hand the two girls were sent to bed. In the following chaos of getting Zak to do the same, Doyle watched Alice follow the girls out of the room from his spot between Jesse and Damon, the three swapping stories, trying to one up the other.

"Follow her. I bet you haven't heard Alice sing" Jesse saw Doyle's eyes tracing Alice. So Doyle got up, waved to the two men whom he felt were already like his brothers, and followed Alice's shadow.

The shadow went to two rooms connected, the door open and light flooding the hallway. Doyle stood in one of the door jams and watched. The door he was in showed a large bedroom with two beds, and a door leading to a room filled with the girl's toys beyond. Jane was already dressed and in bed. She caught sight of Doyle, and looked at him. He held a finger to his lips, motioning for her quiet. She gave a small nod, and turned to watch Alice bring Lilah out of the bathroom, Lilah dressed in a cloud white nightgown, her wet curls looking even darker. Alice guided Lilah to bed, the girl scrambled under the warm covers, a fall chill was settling in outside. Lilah caught sight of Doyle, and Doyle repeated the motion he'd done with Jane and got the same silent yes. Alice sat down in a chair on the same side as the door, she hadn't seen Doyle.

"What do you want to hear?" Alice asked.

"Edelweiss!" Jane pleaded.

"Second Star from the Right!" Lilah squeaked.

"Oh, yes, Second Star!" Jane agreed.

Alice smiled "I haven't done your lullaby in a while, but that's one of my favorites," and she began.

Her voice sent the three listening soaring, flying, high above the birds and the buildings, above where the air is fresh and a little boy who never wants to grow up leads you on adventures. Oh, and the adventures they took in the time! Pirates, Indians, the lost boys, the giant ticking croc; they were all children, on paradise. But Alice's song came to an end as all good things do, and one was flown home with a bump. The other two stayed where they were, in Neverland.

"Wow. That was beautiful." Doyle told Alice softly as she got up. She glanced up and smiled and held a finger to her lips.

"Thank you. I enjoy singing to them, and they like it so..." Alice walked up and closed the door. Doyle put his arm around Alice's shoulders as they walked back past Zak's door, now with the lights off and the inhabitant asleep, put there by Alice's song.

"I understand why they all missed you so. I want you to sing me to sleep every night too…"


End file.
